HIGHLIGHTS
Harding: Will Francis: 18 points, 6 3-pointers; Weston Jameson: 10 points, 4 rebounds, 4 assists.
Northeastern State: Bryton Hobbs: 26 points, 10 rebounds, 8 assists; Marcus Sheppard: 22 points, 9 rebounds.

RUSSELLVILLE, Ark. – Northeastern State's Marcus Sheppard hit a desperation 3-pointer from more than 30 feet from the basket at the buzzer to give the 21st-ranked RiverHawks a 66-64 victory over Harding on Saturday at the Arkansas Tech Thanksgiving Weekend Classic.

The loss dropped Harding to 3-4 overall with Great American Conference games coming at home against East Central on Dec. 5 and Southeastern Oklahoma on Dec. 7. Northeastern State improved to 5-2 with two of its victories coming against Harding.

The Bisons led 64-57 with only 27 seconds remaining in the game, but the RiverHawks closed on a 9-0 run. Northeastern State senior guard Bryton Hobbs, who led all scorers with 26 points, made four consecutive free throws on either side of a missed one-and-one free throw by Harding. Hobbs free throws cut Harding's lead to 64-61 with 13 seconds left.

A Harding turnover on the inbounds pass gave Northeastern State the ball, and Hobbs was fouled and made two more free throws to trim Harding's lead to one. Harding's Hayden Johnson missed two free throws with 4.8 seconds left, and Northeastern State's Amir Gillam pulled down the rebound and found Sheppard, who had 22 points and nine rebounds, for the game-winning shot.

Harding made a season-high 13 3-pointers, led by six from freshman Will Francis, who led Harding with 18 points. Weston Jameson scored 10 points and was the only other Bison in double figures.

Northeastern State shot 16-of-20 (80 percent) at the free throw line, where Harding made only 7-of-17 (41 percent). The Bisons entered the game as the GAC's leader in free throw percentage at 80.5 percent.